172 COLE TITMOUSE. 



flanks, with the exception of the mesial line, 

 sulphur yellow ; the vent and under tail coverts 

 white ; the shoulders, edges of the lesser coverts, 

 and quills, bluish gray, giving that tint to the 

 wing when closed, which is interrupted by a pale 

 yellowish white band formed by the tips of the 

 lesser coverts ; quills and secondaries black, the 

 latter broadly edged with yellowish green ; tail 

 black, feathers edged with bluish gray ; the tip 

 and exterior web of the outer feather pure white ; 

 feet and legs strong, and of a clear lead colour. In 

 the female, the distribution of colours is similar, but 

 not so clear and defined. The size is slightly less. 



THE COLE TiTiViousE PARUS ATER, Will. 

 Pnrus ater, Will. Linn. fyc. Mesange petit 

 Charbonniere, Buff. Temm. fyc. Cole Titmouse 

 or Colemouse of British authors. This little 

 species we think to be the most abundant, or 

 one which, in winter at least, is seen in greater 

 profusion in the south of Scotland than any of 

 the rest of the tribe. Ten or twelve years since, 

 it was by no means common, and its frequency 

 now may be accounted for by the increasing age 

 of the plantations, and by the immense quantity 

 of wood which has been lately planted, and which 

 is now rapidly advancing to maturity. The Cole 

 Titmouse is, generally speaking, pretty evenly 

 distributed over the British islands, where the 

 localities are suitable ; it is found in most of the 

 English counties,* is common in Ireland,f and 



Yarrell, British Birds, p. 338. t Thomson. 



